Report of the Junior Lawyers Against Poverty Team Building, University of Nairobi

Report of the Junior Lawyers Against Poverty Team Building, University of Nairobi

Junior Lawyers Against Poverty, University of Nairobi, organised a team-building session on the 30th April 2022.

The team building session was organised as part of the mentorship programme that JLAP, University of Nairobi, is undertaking under the theme of ‘Law in the 21st Century’. During the session, we focused on the impact of law on human rights efforts in Kenya and how the two can work together in furthering each other’s objectives.

We sought to gain insight into the impact of human rights lobbying through exploring questions such as:

  • What can I do to promote human rights in our society using the law?
  • How can I use my knowledge of law to support Amnesty International in its mandate?
  • What is a typical work-day like for you?
  • How do you prioritise your time when there are competing priorities?
  • What methods do you use to effect change through your work with Amnesty?
  • What does it take to do the work that you do?
  • Are the Amnesty efforts yielding fruits in Kenya and Internationally?
  • What are some hard decisions you had to make to get where you are in your career?
  • What is the state of human rights in the country today?
  • What dangers do you face when lobbying against human rights violations and how do you overcome them?

Funding

JLAP members raised money to fund the event independently. This covered the cost of food, entry fees to the venue, and transportation. Contributing members included:

  • Silas Owiti
  • Aimee Chelangat
  • Hilda Rita Mugasia
  • John Kottowa
  • Mercy Mbatia
  • Maureen Moraa
  • Abner Dlamini
  • John
  • Joy Cherop
  • Dut Deng Dut

Planning Committee

The planning was coordinated by members of the leadership committee comprising of:

  • Silas Owiti
  • Aimee Chelangat
  • Hilda Rita Mugasia
  • John Kottowa
  • Mercy Mbatia

Venue

The event was held at the Nairobi Arboretum which provided a serene environment for the activities to take place. We engaged in dance, team building activities, targeted discussions on the future of the club as well as an illuminating conversation with our guest.

Members Present

The following members were present:

  • Silas Owiti
  • Aimee Chelangat
  • Hilda Rita Mugasia
  • Mercy Mbatia
  • John Kottowa
  • Maureen Moraa
  • Marriane Wangari Muthoni
  • Abner Dlamini
  • Joy Cherop
  • John

Guest speaker

Our guest speaker for the day was Mr. Irungu Houghton, the Executive Director, Primary Spokesperson, and Chief Strategist for Amnesty International Kenya. We engaged in a thoughtful discussion about his work with Amnesty International and its impact in Kenya. He was engaging, punctual, and had a wonderful sense of humour. Indeed, he has invited JLAP, University of Nairobi, to partner with Amnesty International in our mission to eradicate poverty (Circle of Conscience). To this effect, the members present at the event plan to attend a meeting with him in the coming weeks.

Mr. Irungu Houghton

By Aimee Chelangat

Junior Lawyers Against Poverty, University of Nairobi, organised a team-building session as part of their mentorship programme with the theme ‘Law in the 21st Century’.